The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-02
CATCHING TURTLES.
How The Succulent Monsters
Are Captured.
Exciting Scenes in the Moon
light on the Gulf of Mexico.

4 man who has spent some time
catching big turtles in the Gulf Of Mex
leo said to a New York Star reporter: Il
don't know how you catch turtles up
here but down in the Gulf Of Mexico
we have an exciting time Of it. Turtle
hunting is great sport, but a good
many people object to it on account Of
the mosquitoes. Mosquitoes2 Well,
should remark. A man can't hunt tur-
ties around the Gulf Of Mexico unless he
is thoroughbred fighter of mosquitoes
'Most Of the green turtles we get
down our way come from around the
Chandelier Islands, about forty miles
from the Mississippi coast. These
islands make up a string over forty
miles long, and are covered by a chap
paral as dense as any in Mexico Not
tree grows upon them; only little sea-
weed. When the water is high the
waves wash up to the thicket, but at
low water fine strand, finer and larger
than the beach at Galveston, is re-
vealed.
''On some of these islands are a num-
Der Of fishcrmen's huts or tents, and the
southern end is occupied exclusively by
the red snapper and bluetish fishermen
from New Orleans and Mobile. Most of
the red snappers and pompano furnished
to the east are captured by these fisher
men. Along in July all the she turtles
for miles around in the Gulf come up to
the islands at night when the tide is low
and lay their eggs in the sand
"But l was going to tell you how we
catch turtles down there. It's the
easiest thing in the world Along in
the night when they come out of the
gulf to lay their eggs or gambol on the
sand or tiirt, you start out armed with a
stout pole or young tree. When the
turtle hears you coming he makes a start
for the sea, and you have to do some tall
hustling to get there. A turtle is a
sharp-eyed and tine-eared fish, and if he
gets q good start the chances are strong
against his being caught. AS a rule
there are more than one hunter, as one
would have great difficulty in managing
one of the big fellows When you get
up to the turtle just shove your sapling
under him and turn him over on his
back. A turtle is knocked completely
out when he is lying on his back, and is
unable to do anything but paw the air
and kick. Some of them weigh 800
and 900 pounds, so you see one man
couldn't very we'll handle such a noun
tain. Even with two or three the hun
ters have to possess considerable dexteri-
ty in order to throw the monster If the
turtle kept still until you adjusted your
pole, and let you tug away at him, it
would be all right; but he keeps on the
run and makes quick and warm work
for the hunt ers An S00-pound turtle
can get over sand at an amazing rate,
and when you take into consideration
the fact that this 500 pounds of solid
matter is going at an express train gait
you can readily perceive that it requires
a practiced hand to capture him.
GAS I said before, It's warm work,
and it is made warmer by the way you
have to dress. Down in that chapparel
are billions and billions of mosquitoes.
They are these giant, gray-backed fel-
lows with Deaks on Them like sbarD-
pointed darning needles. They come in
clouds and run their stingrs through
tanned rhinoceros hide. Ordinary cloth
ing is no protection against them. The
hunter has to take the very thickest can
vas, old sails or something Ike that. and
coat it thicklv with coal tar or coal oil.
Mosquitoes don't like coal OF much, bnt
If they are hungry their appetite doesn't
stand on ceremony or epicwean taste"